Ogrodzieniec Castle is a striking 13th-century hilltop ruin in the Kraków–Częstochowa Upland, about an hour’s drive from Krakow, with a firm place in metal lore thanks to Iron Maiden’s 1984 VHS “Behind the Iron Curtain”. The tape follows the band’s World Slavery Tour through Poland, Yugoslavia and Hungary—countries where Maiden were billed as the first major rock act to tour after the Soviet Union’s grip began to loosen—capturing especially ecstatic Polish crowds finally seeing the band after years of cultural restrictions. During “Hallowed Be Thy Name” you see Bruce Dickinson and Nicko McBrain wandering the castle’s shattered walls and towers (the sequence lands at roughly the 31-minute mark). The fortress itself has a long, turbulent history and was left in ruins when Charles XII of Sweden’s troops sacked it in 1702; it was never rebuilt. Visitors today can follow signed routes through the courtyards and lookouts, and there’s a small “torture chamber” display that includes an iron maiden. If you haven’t seen the VHS, it’s available online; for a visit, expect parking below the hill and a short walk up, with opening times and facilities varying by season.
ADDRESS:
Zamkowa 28, 42-440 Podzamcze, Poland
Back to Ogrodzieniec.